U.S. Customs and Border Protection Set to Move into 12,750 Square Feet
Rockefeller Group Development Corporation (RGDC) and Kimco Realty Corporation, the joint venture partners developing Miramar Town Center in downtown Miramar, announced today a long-term lease with the United States government.
Under a lease with the General Services Administration (GSA), the United States Customs and Border Protection, a division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), will occupy the entire fourth floor of the Mediterranean-style office-retail-residential complex at 11606 City Hall Promenade, on Red Roadjust north of Miramar Parkway. The department plans to employ 70 people, with secured parking in the building's 600-car garage.
At the same time, Rockefeller Group announced completion of the office buildout of the complex's second floor, with offices ranging in size from 1,981 square feet to the whole floor available for lease. Those offices are now ready for immediate occupancy. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection will move from smaller quarters at another Miramar location.
"They will make an ideal tenant for us and a great neighbor for other tenants and businesses," said Edgar C. Jones, Jr., RGDC's Vice President and Regional Development Officer. "Even in this severe downturn, Miramar Town Center has steadily grown into a major government, education and community center for major portions of Broward and Miami-Dade Counties.
"Given the current economy, government contracts like this one are very attractive," Jones continued. "These days, there aren't a lot of tenants with good credit and the government's credit, obviously, is reliable. This is our second government contract in the past year, including the VA Clinic we are developing in Oceanside, Calif. Since Rockefeller Group has developed productive relationships with both the GSA and the Veterans Administration, we look forward to working with the government in the future."
Caroline Fleischer, Associate Director of Office Brokerage at Cushman & Wakefield, Inc., and Greg Martin, Senior Director of Office Brokerage, represented the joint venture partners of Rockefeller Group Development Corp. and Kimco Realty as broker in the transaction. Sterling Hedley of Smith Real Estate Services in Atlanta represented the government. James Thompson was contracting officer with the GSA.
"This location offers what the government wanted: sensitive security requirements, designated secured parking and a higher floor," Fleischer said. "The complex has great amenities for a 'green' development: a cultural arts center, educational facilities, a fitness center, restaurants, government offices and a public transportation hub. It also has a constant law enforcement presence."
Fleischer said the office vacancy rate in the Miramar submarket stands at roughly 11 percent, significantly below overall vacancy rates for Broward County and Miami-Dade.
Miramar Town Center broke ground in April 2006, and is planned to include 146,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, more than 50,000 square feet of office space and 500 residences. The current phase of construction includes more than 77,000 square feet of retail and more than 45,000 square feet of offices. In the last 16 months, a number of establishments have moved into the complex, including the 35,000-square-foot 24 Hour Fitness Sport Center, along with medical services and franchise and non-franchise restaurants.
Other amenities in the area include the 24-acre Ansin Sports Complex within walking distance of the Town Center. The complex includes a state-of-the-art track identical to the one used at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
In January 2009, Miramar Cultural Arts Center officially opened with an 800-seat auditorium, a museum and a full schedule for 2009-2010. In the fall of 2008 the Miramar Branch Library and Education Center opened, sharing 70,000 square feet with new satellite campuses of Nova Southeastern University and Broward College. These establishments join Miramar City Hall, built in 2004.
For more information about retail leasing at Miramar Town Center, contact Susana Hernandez-Hazzi, Director of Real Estate for Kimco Realty at (407) 302-6514, or shazzi@kimcorealty.com. For more information on office leasing, contact Caroline Fleischer, Associate Director of Office Brokerage at Cushman & Wakefield, Inc., at 954-377-0467, or caroline.Fleischer@cushwake.com.
For more information about Miramar Town Center, see www.miramartc.com.
For more information about Miramar Cultural Center, see www.miramarculturalcenter.org.
About Rockefeller Group Development Corporation (RGDC)
RGDC is headquartered in Manhattan and is a national owner, developer, and manager of prestigious commercial real estate properties. Its developments include corporate headquarters, landmark properties, multi-use urban complexes, multinational distribution facilities, suburban business parks, and foreign trade zones. Current developments in the Southeast include a 1.1-million-square-foot distribution center at Rockefeller Group Foreign Trade Zone in Charleston, S.C., and a 1.5-million-square-foot distribution center in Social Circle, Ga., scheduled for completion this spring. RGDC, with regional offices in Arizona, California, Florida and New Jersey, is an operating company of The Rockefeller Group, developer of Rockefeller Center in New York City. www.rockgroupdevelopment.com
About Kimco Realty Corporation
Kimco Realty Corporation, a real estate investment trust (REIT), owns and operates the nation's largest portfolio of neighborhood and community shopping centers. As of Sept. 30, 2009, the company owned interests in 1,462 retail properties comprising 153 million square feet of leasable space across 45 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico and South America. Publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol KIM and included in the S&P 500 Index, the company has specialized in shopping center acquisitions, development and management for 50 years. For further information, visit the company's web site at www.kimcorealty.com.
Contacts:
Rockefeller Group International, Inc.
Brian P. Mahoney, 212-282-2590
bmahoney@rockgrp.com
or
Wragg
& Casas Public Relations
Mark Sell, 305-372-1234; cell:
305-206-5397
msell@wraggcasas.com